Rave of Chaos
by kbxshadow
Summary: Maidens of disaster, Chaos Deities seven. Link inadvertently awakens one of these mythical goddesses, and one by one, the others begin to awaken, soon giving way to a madness of eight elements. Let the rave of chaos begin.
1. Prologue: The Legend

_Hey. kbxshadow here with a new fic! Dunno if I'm going to continue it, but here I am anyway, trying my hand at something that's my own idea and not taken from someone else. Well, at any rate, for this one, OC requests are closed. This one's solely official/canon characters of Super Smash Brothers Melee and Brawl. Sort of. I'll be focusing on some more than others. Cool?_

_So let me do **disclaimers** real quick. All Nintendo related things belong to Nintendo. The Chaos Deities belong to me, kbxshadow. And the mythical beasts presented belong to the myths and legends they each come from. Cool? Now for the test run..._

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PROLOGUE: The Legend

_Maidens of disaster, Chaos Deities seven._

It is said that the gods and goddesses of the Nintendo Realm were what created each of the worlds. Tears became rain. Rage shaped the earth. A puff of exertion became the wind. A blanket to sleep under became the sky, its leaking fabric the clouds. Whatever feeling, whatever material, whatever item these deities used became part of the nature of the worlds.

The seven elements were no different. Fire burst forth from Ashera's hot passions for her new continent. Water came to be when Nayru cried a river. The element of earth appeared when Palutena walked the blossoming worlds. Air was born when Farore's precious plants wilted away. Ice came into existence when Din fell deathly ill. Light bathed the worlds when the Cobalt Star shined its radiance upon them, making it eternal when it created Sol, the sun in our terms today. And the element of Shadow was born with Light when the goddesses cast their silhouettes upon the worlds, accidentally bringing forth the evils and diseases of the worlds. They were unable to stop the poison, for light could not be without shadow, and shadow could not be without light.

These elements, of course, were retained by male deities, controlled and kept from causing mayhem. But when they did, the consequences were devastating, and from each chaotic situation, a maiden walked among the destruction. Seven maidens of elemental chaos, chaos of which happened when they became bored with the peace each world of the Nintendo Realm maintained.

_Give rise to the eighth maiden, Chaos Deity eight._

Time was a subject of controversial matter for the gods and goddesses. They knew the terrible destruction it could cause if Time had a chaotic maiden born from it. But without time, the worlds would not evolve. Ashera offered to seal the maidens away if Time were to spin out of control. Palutena supported her. Din, Farore, and Nayru agreed to choose a being among the mortals of their realm to help when called upon, a Hero of Time, a champion who would be marked when born. Other gods and goddesses put in their share of possible effort, and before long, it was given that Time would be created.

Time appeared as a small child, and when asked to begin the flow, the child's clumsy mistakes gave birth to warped and dilapidated Time. The gods and goddesses could not stop the child before the mayhem was apparent, and a maiden, another chaotic maiden, walked forth, holding the child in her arms as if she were its mother.

_Elements seven and time one, Chaos Deities eight._

Upon setting the child in Ashera's arms, this maiden ventured forth, descending down to the Nintendo Realm while calling all of the other maidens to her, giving them names to which they promptly responded. Her power was awesome, and she did not dare to use it unless she grew bored with her fellow maidens' actions of chaos.

They named theirselves the Chaos Deities, and under the Time Deity's leadership, they brought such disasters to the flourishing Nintendo Realm, so much that the gods and goddesses had to respond with quick action.

_Seven beasts to be purged to stop the awakening of Time._

Each of the maidens was locked away at first in a hideous beast form with the gods' and goddesses' hopes that they would cease their rampage. Time was taken away to an isolated temple created by Din, Farore, and Nayru as a test for their chosen Hero. This temple also became the grounds on which Time – who had gone and made a labyrinth sanctuary for her deities of chaos – would fall into a sealed sleep.

The beast in which Time was locked in is not known to this day, but because the seven maidens had continued to cause devastation throughout the worlds, their hideous forms were made public. The deity of fire, Inferna, found herself in the body of a Wyvern. Water, Aquaria, took to the oceans in her insanely monstrous form of the Leviathan. Terra, the deity of earth, vent her frustrations on the world in the form of the Hydra. Aria, the Chaos Deity of Air, soared the skies as the monstrous Roc. Her airborne assaults were joined with Glacia, the Ice Deity, who was locked in the form of the Thunderbird. Nephila and Serapha, Shadow and Light respectively, found theirselves sealed in the related monsters Cerberus and Chimaera. With new powers added to their arsenal, the maidens continued with the incessant assaults, carrying out their destruction as Illusia, Time, would have asked them to.

_Seven starts to shine brightly from the Deity Sanctuary in the skies._

Even as the gods and goddesses tried to bring order back to the Nintendo Realm by sealing Time away, she continued to use her powers to support her elemental maidens. She gave them the ability to ascend to the skies, to the Deity Sanctuary, when they believed it was their time. She supplied them with their maiden forms once more, unlocking the deities from their beast forms.

Enraged by Time's efforts, the gods and goddesses quickened their actions to seal her away. When that succeeded, and Time slept under the foundations of Din, Farore, and Nayru's temple, the gods and goddesses turned to the seven maidens.

_Seven beings give in to their inner shadows._

The maidens did not hesitate to find vessels for theirselves, for they had meticulously crafted a way to awaken Time if the gods and goddesses had gone so far.

They chose on seven essence vessels, one for each deity. And once chosen, they decided to meet at the Temple of Time, where Time rested in oblivious sleep.

The vessels theirselves, seven beings of the overworld, held powers of that of the deities, all of which they gained for falling under each goddess' trance, swearing loyalty to them, gaining control of a more powerful, dark, and chaotic side. These seven were scattered across the Nintendo Realm. Efforts began to have the seven essence vessels gather at the temple.

Essences because the gods and goddesses had succeeded in sealing the seven maidens away, each in their separate locations across the Nintendo Realm, and within their own statues deep underground. Only when a being of the overworld looked the maiden statue deep in the eye would the respective Chaos Deity awaken. The Fire Deity, sealed within a statue of ruby, was placed under the ruins of the Grann Desert in Tellius. The Water Deity, sealed in a sapphire statue, was hidden among the tall grasses of Hyrule Field, away from her sanctuary of water. The Air Deity, sealed in a light aquamarine statue, was put to sleep in the high altitudes of Angel Land. The Earth Deity, sealed in an emerald statue, was placed under the eternally flowing waters of the Fountain of Dreams in Dreamland. The Ice Deity, sealed within a state of pure colorless beryl, was hidden in a separate Star Shrine on Star Hill of the Mushroom Kingdom. The Shadow and Light Deities, in onyx and diamond statues respectively, were placed far underground on opposite ends of a large expanse of land of no world in particular.

_Shadow begins all._

Each of these sealed statues' locations was marked by a shrine. The statues in certain worlds of Nintendo, meaning all except for Shadow and Light, were watched by the protective eye of the guardian deities of each world of the Realm. Palutena watched the Air Deity. Ashera watched the Fire Deity. Nayru watched the Water Deity, while Din and Farore kept an eye on the Time Deity. The Cobalt Star looked over the Ice Deity. The sacred waters of the Fountain of Dreams drowned the Earth Deity's efforts. All other gods and goddesses took turns keeping the Shadow and Light Deities in check.

Time flowed on, and the Nintendo worlds flourished. Each world even had a guardian entity that drove off the evils of their world when they became apparent.

When a pair of former villains came to the gods and goddesses asking to be allowed to start a tournament and establish a grounds for the fighters to stay, the gods and goddesses promptly agreed. The expanse of land where Shadow and Light slept was given to Master Hand and Crazy Hand to allow them to establish the Smash Mansion and found the Super Smash Brothers.

The Smash Brothers became well-known for their stress of the concept of family, as well as their supreme skills as fighters. It is said now that all thirty or so fighters come together in times of great need to ward off an evil that plagued all of the Nintendo Realm. Such stories have become mere legends now, for most of the epic battles fought and won by the Brothers are unconfirmed, and many of the happenings that called them together are not documented, only existing in the memories of Master Hand and Crazy Hand should the fighters theirselves forget about those instances.

Much time has passed since the first tournament, and new members were being added to the Brothers. At this time, Master and Crazy Hand were much too busy to notice anything peculiar. The secret of the Shadow Deity and Light Deity's existence on the Brothers' grounds had been kept from the pair of caretakers, so neither were aware of the Shadow maiden to the south of the mansion or the Light Deity to the north.

Of course, the Shadow maiden was beginning to stir, now waiting upon one figure to come her way. She could have chosen any of the thirty, but for her fellow deities' sake, she had to have this one character under her command. After all, this one character had been summoned for the purposes of purging the Deities' existence should he come to realize the threat they posed.

So, dear listener, this happens to be one of the few happenings of the Brothers that was documented. Seven will lose out to an inner shadow, and Time will return – make no mistake of that.

The night is still young, dear listener. Hear my tale now…

* * *

_Yes, dear reader, hear my tale...If you want. Not forcing you or anything. So there's the test run. Let me know how you like it, alright? _

_So yeah...This will be a whole lot shorter than my KH-SSB crossover fic. Just something for me to do when I'm uninspired or have a writer's block. Chapters will be very short, and the fic itself won't be too long, I think._

_Not much else for me to say until next chapter._

_So._

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow_


	2. Wanted Text Jacked

_After a...long while, I'm back with this fic...I think I'll be working on this a little more than TSBW, though, don't worry, the next chapter is currently being typed up and revised. For now, bear with this one. Please._

_**Disclaimers**: All Nintendo-related stuff belongs to Nintendo; that's why they're called Nintendo. The subject of the Smash Mansion is something that spans all over the Super Smash Brothers section of this website, and as far as I know, belongs to no one. The Chaos Deities belong to me, kbxshadow. Roll chapter!_

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CHAPTER 1 – Wanted Text Jacked

Five exciting months had thus passed so far since the opening of the Brawl tournaments. Income for the Smash Mansion had been like never before, what with many visitors from around the Realm buying tickets to see the epic tournaments, or just to try and score a chance to receive their favorite fighter's autograph. The participants of the Brawl tournaments had become celebrities all around the world, which both concerned and delighted the Hand Brothers to no end at all.

Of course, Master and Crazy Hand had received complaints from many of their fans in regards to the Smashers who had been cut from the role list. Compensation was given to the fans of Roy, Dr. Mario, Pichu, Young Link, and Mewtwo by having the five appear as judges of the Brawl tournaments, which all five were happy enough to do. Giving the five those positions actually worked out quite well. Neither of the Hands really wanted to speak into a tiny little microphone or float around the arena and block their audience's views of the fights.

And having many different kinds of combinations of setting up the tournaments made sure there was always more excitement for the next set of fights.

The schedule was working out nicely, too. Tournaments would go on for about five days, then the fighters were given two weeks' worth of a break to release theirselves of the tensions of the tournaments, or train a little to keep up with their growing reputations. Then it would be a new set of rules for a new tournament, and the fighters would be off doing their best again.

It was during one such break that for the first time in months, Roy was able to meet up with his old friends again. His first impression remained the same as it was before: neither Marth nor Link had changed too much personality-wise. And this Ike fellow who had taken Roy's place seemed like a really nice guy. It was enough that he was getting along quite well with Link, who was the elite veteran out of the four swordsmen. Roy breathed a sigh of relief. Even if he wasn't there, at least they all got along.

He gave a wave to the three as they turned the corner, walking toward him.

And they all gave a wave back. Link rushed to meet his Melee friend. "Roy!" Link cried. "You've been at this whole judging-slash-announcing thing that you're doing for Master and Crazy Hand for the past three months, and you didn't even come to see us after the fights? What's your problem?"

"Nothing," Roy replied. "It's just really tiring to do all of that constant talking. Young Link and Pichu are the best at it, really."

"You throw in some pretty interesting comments, though," Ike complimented. "Though I'm sure the younger ones have more energy with their comments, you do know these fighters well enough that you can pull off some of those jokes you make." He patted Marth's shoulder at this.

"It's an 'old friend' thing…" Marth venomously commented. "I only let him off for it because of that excuse."

"It always works," Link beamed. "Just do Marth a favor, Ike, and you can say anything to him, but he won't ever brutally hurt you. It's against his chivalric nature."

"Link's right," Roy replied after seeing Ike's bemused look. "Always make sure you have something to back up your actions when dealing with Marth."

"Why has this suddenly turned into a discussion of ways of keeping me at bay?" Marth cut in. "I might as well go against that code just to prove that I can't be taken advantage of."

"Oh, no, don't do that," Link warned. "You'll have either your sister or your advisor breathing down your neck if you go against that creed of yours as a Knight of Altea."

"But in compensation," Roy started, "the customers would probably like that. I'm sure they wouldn't mind seeing a different, more atrocious side of Marth than what they see all the time. Out-of-character actions seem to really fire them up."

"Customers?" Ike questioned skeptically. "You mean _fangirls_."

Link nodded solemnly in agreement.

Marth looked a little more than frazzled at the mere mention.

Roy burst into laughter at the three's reactions.

"There is absolutely _nothing_ about the concept that is worth laughter," Marth coldly murmured.

"I hate to admit it," Link began, "but he's right…" He shuddered. "I think you should be glad you aren't a part of this whole thing anymore, Roy…Opening ceremony was especially terrifying."

"Why Master Hand allows the audience to come into the mansion premises is beyond me…" Ike agreed. "I never want to walk down that red carpet again…Girls trying to rip and tear at your clothing, pulling at anything loose, camera flashes everywhere, screams in your ears…I almost didn't want to be here."

"I suppose there's one good thing about being cut from the list," Roy replied. "No more fangirls to worry about, and the only ones who come by Pherae are the writers and journalists out there who want an interview, but they're all very calm."

"What I would give to live a life like that…" Marth sighed.

"Oh yeah!" Link agreed, jerking a thumb in Marth's direction. "They had to _cover_ him up this year in a _really_ thick blanket to get him through the crowd, you know."

"And that blanket was utterly destroyed by the time he got to the mansion," Ike added, recalling opening ceremony.

Roy scratched his head. "Wow. I guess I'm _really_ glad I was cut…"

"Whew, you would have had to go through the same kind of hell Marth had to go through!" Link exclaimed. "Ike's up for it next year. He almost got his tunic ripped off of his back."

"Can we _please_ get off of this subject?" Marth half-begged. "It makes me uneasy enough mentioning them…"

"True. I need some fresh air, anyway. Talking about those demons has me claustrophobic all of a sudden."

"You always need fresh air, my forest fairy friend," Ike sighed. "And you're just tense; not claustrophobic."

"Fine, fine, you're right. I always – Wait, _what_?"

Roy joined in on the laughter as the four continued down the hall.

--

The four had found their way to the mansion's southern end, bypassing other Smashers enjoying their two-week break or messing around with the Melee veterans that had been able to rejoin the Smash Brothers family as judges. Many of them still gave Roy a whole-hearted welcome, so it took some time for the four to make their way out to the southern gardens, Link's personal area of calm.

Ike lay down in the freshly-cut grass, Link and Roy sitting next to him while Marth stayed on his feet. Conversations ran between them, the talk nonchalant. At the moment, the spotlight had turned to Marth.

"I actually found this interesting text last night in the mansion library," he had been saying. "I'm sure it was nothing more than a myth, but it was rather intriguing, nonetheless."

"Really now?" Link asked. "What was it about?"

"Link?" Ike cried, seemingly baffled. "Interested in a myth? What's going on?"

"I could say the same to you, and besides, my life is really based on myths and legends."

Ike considered this. "True," he agreed. "So what about this story was so interesting, Marth?" He obviously was not all that interested.

"The Chaos Deities," Marth simply replied. "Maidens of elemental chaos that devastated this universe."

"Judging from their name…" Roy thought aloud," they were goddesses?"

"Goddesses who were shunned by our own gods and goddesses. The text mentioned Din, Farore, and Nayru, as well as Ashera and Palutena."

"Shunned goddesses?" Link echoed. "They must be living in a world of hurt at this point. Were they pretty?"

Marth raised an eyebrow. "Have you heard of a goddess who wasn't at least considered 'cute'?"

"Medusa," Link replied with no hesitation, "Pit should know."

Marth was at a loss for words.

"Ouch," Roy voiced. "He got you on that one, Marth, my friend."

"So he did," Marth admitted. "Changing the subject, though –"

"Let's see this text," Ike suddenly suggested. "With all of our familiar goddesses mentioned, I can't help but be curious."

"Understandable," Roy agreed. "Come on, Marth. Show us that text."

"Do I look like I have it with me?" Marth asked, his tone dripping sarcasm. "It's in the library. Didn't I tell you that?"

"You did, but no one said you couldn't find that text again."

--

"Are you sure it's in here?" Link asked before proceeding to sneeze three times in a row. "Agh…'Scuse me." His voice had become stuffy. "We've looked through here and everywhere in this dusty place…"

"For the umpteenth time, Link, _yes_ it's in here!" Marth exclaimed, obviously annoyed. "I just looked through here last night, and I am for _sure_ that it was here!"

"Calm yourself, Marth," Ike reassured. "It'll turn up."

"Even though we've searched this whole place for the past few hours now?" Roy asked, apparently impatient. "Give me a break, Ike."

"No thanks. Everyone does their share of searching."

Roy could only growl in response. "Marth. Tell us what this book looks like…for the umpteenth time."

"It's large, it's brown, it's relatively thin, and coated with dust," Marth stated as though it were routine. "It has silver decorations on it, specifically pictures of seven-pointed stars with a different element on each point."

Link filed through a whole shelf, pulling out book after book, searching for a text matching Marth's description. At the second shelf from the bottom, he could not repress the sneezes any longer. Turning away, he broke his record of three consecutive sneezes for five consecutive sneezes. He looked up at his friends with a dazed look. "I'm starting to doubt this book's existence, guys."

"You are. I'm not," Ike defiantly snorted. "Try for seven now, Link."

Perhaps it was a cue, because Link went on to sneezing another three times. "Eight altogether. Happy?"

"I will be if you hit ten or more consecutively."

"I would die, you crazy idiot!" Link whined with his stuffy voice. "My head already hurts from going five times!"

"Aren't we getting a little off-topic?" Marth questioned with a tone that suggested he was still pretty irritated. "We've pored through all of those shelves, and we still can't find one…" He took a breath to suppress the curse that wanted to get out. "…We still can't find one book."

Link stared at Marth for a moment before turning to Ike. "Marth almost swore…"

"He seems frustrated enough," Ike replied. "And I guess we can't blame him. A book he was looking at just last night suddenly disappeared."

"Maybe someone else took it," Roy suggested. "It's a library, after all."

"Who would want to check that text out, though?" Marth quizzically asked.

While Marth and Roy went on, Ike decided to go ahead and keep checking around. He searched high and low, looking for any book that could match that description. Spying a random book sitting high on the top of one bookshelf, Ike used one of the shelves as a foothold and hopped up, grabbing the book. Upon hitting the floor again, he looked the book over, letting out a frustrated sigh when he realized this still was not the book he needed. Setting the book in one of the open slots of the bookshelf, Ike went on looking through the shelves. He was but a few steps away from the particular bookshelf that had the book on top when he stopped to turn around and look at it, a thought finally hitting him. Now looking at the very tops of the shelves, Ike continued to walk down each aisle of the library.

His hypothesis turned out correct. A few aisles away from where Marth, Roy, and Link continued to talk things out, Ike spied a book of relative largeness – brown with silver decorations all over. Pulling a chair over, he stepped up and went to grab it while calling over his shoulder for his friends…

…But a gloved hand also grabbed for the book, trying to yank it away from Ike's grasp.

Ike looked back to calmly tell that he really needed to see this text when he found he was staring face-to-face with another Link. Confusion racked Ike for a few brief moments before he got the notion to look a bit more carefully.

Red piercing eyes, black hair, black hat and tunic, pale skin tone, and a sneer that was definitely not Link. It was Link, but at the same time, it wasn't Link.

Ike paused for a moment. "…Who are you?" he asked after a minute.

"Link, obviously," the other snorted. "Who else do I look like?"

"You're Link. _Right_. So who's the one talking to Marth and Roy back there?"

"Hmm…Who _could_ it be? You know, I have no idea!" With that, the other snatched away the book, gave a quick wave, and jumped away. "I have a Chaos Deity waiting for me. Ta-ta for now!"

Hearing the commotion, Marth, Roy, and Link came around to the aisle in which Ike still stood on his chair, blinking a bit dumbly.

"Something happen, Ike?" Roy asked.

Ike pointed in the direction the other Link ran off. "He jacked the book."

Link was off right away, hot on his dark entity's heels and oblivious to his friends' cries of warning.

* * *

_I don't know what to tell you at this point, since I haven't done A/N's for this fic in a really long time. I suppose it'll get better as I continue it...Who knows? Oh well._

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow_


	3. A Beckoning Call

_Oh yeah, so if you didn't notice, I changed the title. It used to be "Eight of Devastation" but I thought that was lame, so I changed it to "Rave of Chaos". I think it sounds better, don't you?_

_**Disclaimers**: All Nintendo-related stuff belongs to Nintendo, that's why they're called Nintendo-related stuff in the first place. The concept of the Smash Mansion spans all over the Super Smash Brothers section of this website, and belongs to no one in particular, as far as I know. And the Chaos Deities belong to me, kbxshadow. Roll chapter!_

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CHAPTER 2 – A Beckoning Call

Many of the Smashers who saw Link dashing after another Link decided things were best left to the former. He was Link, after all. Why would he _not_ be fine? If he didn't ask for help, then he really must not need it. If he isn't injured, then surely things will be completely okay to leave to him. Besides, it was always a bad idea to cross his path when he had that determined look in his features.

At least, that was what the other Smashers would have told one if one asked.

So really, no one paid Link too much attention when he hurtled through the southern area of the mansion after his darker self. Most decided to ask what had happened when he returned.

The chase after Dark Link led to premises outside the mansion. Though not fond of going anywhere away from the area, Link had to keep moving after that darned faker who was doomed from the beginning.

It was not Smash City the other Link headed for, but really the forest off to the southwestern side of the mansion. Dense vegetation nearly made Link lose sight of his reflection, but plowing through proved to be a good enough strategy. Of course, because he had left his battle supplies – his sword and shield – at the mansion, he knew he was extremely unprepared for a fight if he was led into one. He did still wish he had at least his sword. His tunic might have been safe from the lashing branches and other such obstacles.

The forest yielded away into a small clearing. He couldn't see his shadow anywhere, and figured he had, after all, lost sight of him. Though irritated for a moment, he soon let it go, guessing he would meet up with the reflection again. Now becalmed of his frustrations, Link took this moment now to look around.

The forest's dense trees had covered this clearing from the sun, so no matter what time of day it was, the area stayed in eternal shade. Upon closer inspection of the premises, Link could see that something had once stood in the middle of the clearing. The ruins of what appeared to be a shrine decorated this mysterious area.

Mysterious because an uncanny silence blanketed the clearing. Not a single bird or bug stirred. The trees kept their voices low, only going to a silent whisper when the wind carried its news to them. That quiet was thick, and it only made Link uncomfortable. It reminded him too much of the Sacred Grove, which – though it granted him access to the Master Sword and Temple of Time – carried this same sort of silence: foreboding and resistant.

Except it seemed to a greater magnitude here. The quiet drove Link to the point of insanity. There had to be some sort of noise _somewhere_. He turned on his heel to head back to the mansion, but when he reached the entrance to the clearing, a blast of wind ripped through the trees, cutting around the clearing to Link, knocking him back to the ruins. He got back up with a great deal of irritation, but now his dormant animal instincts were coming back to him. Voices pervaded through the trees, almost as if trying to tell him something.

"_Be aware…"_

"_Stay alert…"_

"_Shadow sleeps…"_

"_Yet she awakens…" _

"_Turn away…"_

Link was ready to listen to the trees and turn back. Whatever rested here should not be associated with him. He knew that for certain. Turning on his heel once more, Link had begun to actually sprint off when another voice attacked his senses.

"_Young hero of twilight…You have awakened my hibernating spirit…_"

Now another barrage of the forest's voices.

"_Do not respond…"_

"_It is a trap…"_

"…_Eternal chaos…"_

"…_Everlasting shadow…"_

Link remained faithful to the forest, and continued to slowly creep back.

"_Free me, young hero…I am imprisoned…_"

"_Do not free her…"_

"_All the world in ruins…"_

It was aggravating for Link. All of these voices he could suddenly hear were _really_ pushing him to the edge. He managed to retain himself, though, and continued to move along. Link probably would have made it back to the main forest, but again, he was held up.

A hand grabbed Link by the collar of his tunic, forcefully pulling him back. "A goddess is calling to you, Link," his shadow stated in an appalled tone. "And you turn your back on her? Shame on you!"

"Look, I don't care if this is a goddess or not," Link bluntly replied. "You're here, you're pulling me back, and you're getting on my nerves. What else am I supposed to think of this situation?" He yanked away from his reflection's grasp. "Give me the book, and we'll leave it at that."

"You aren't a person for fun, are you?" The reflection paused here to sigh. "You even have no idea why you ended up here, do you? Why you can't seem to freely march away from this place?"

"Enlighten me."

"You know that devious voice inside you that tells you to cause some mischief? That's me. Not necessarily your dark side or anything…Well, I guess appearance-wise, I'm like him, but when it comes down to my intentions, I'm nothing like him." The reflection marched straight up to the original, prodding his forehead. "You want to unravel the mystery around here. You want to see this goddess. You want to see what's inside that book. And most of all…" He leaned in now, lowering his voice to a whisper. "You want to know what it means to awaken her…"

Link was at an absolute loss for words.

The trees kept trying their hardest.

"_Don't listen to him…"_

"_You mustn't give in…"_

"_Shadow must not awaken…"_

"_Turn back…"_

And then that clear voice that cut through the others.

"_Help me, young hero of twilight…_"

Link could say he was torn now. He had to turn away. It wasn't necessarily _dark_, this voice that beckoned to him, but it was _definitely_ something he knew he _should_ avoid. Yet the way it calmly drew him toward the ruins fascinated him. He felt a need to be lost to that voice, to subject himself to the owner of that voice.

"You truly are predictable," the reflection snorted. "Why is it so hard to admit it? Why do you listen to the voice of the forest?"

"I grew up in the forests, thank you very much."

"Really? Well, are you going to listen to them now?" A series of mischievous laughs erupted from the reflection. "I left the book in the ruins. My bad." With that, the reflection dissipated from view. Yet still, his voice echoed throughout the clearing. "You want to see her, don't you? Go on! No one's going to stop you!"

Link paused, now fully uncertain of his next decision. That vision of his mischief was right. He wanted to see this goddess, but then again, he didn't. He still felt powerfully drawn to those ruins, but the forest's voice advised against it. He wanted to turn away, but he could still hear his reflection's voice mocking and jeering at him. He desperately needed someone to set his path straight, but no one was there for him to depend on. Link only had his instincts and integrity to get pass this.

He actually made the effort to turn away, and he was actually about to walk away from the ruins. He was actually about to walk out of that aggravating clearing.

Then he remembered the book. Marth would want to have it back, and Master Hand kept a close count of his books.

Link took this moment to breathe deeply. All he would do is go back, find and pick up the book, then run back to the mansion. The voices were gone, so nothing could confuse him at this point.

And truthfully speaking, that was exactly what he was going to do. He wandered around for a little, turning over rocks and wall fragments, searching every nook and cranny he could see.

It is best to say that things certainly took a turn for the worst when Link stopped in front of the ruins. He could tell the ruins were some form of a shrine. A large slab of a ruined wall sealed away the entrance to the shrine. An uncanny feeling the book was inside made Link get set with pushing the giant slab aside.

He had to tell himself many time over that pushing this slab over was like opening a dungeon door, and those doors were nowhere near light. It took a few moments, but before long, he had the slab off to the side with the shrine's entrance yawning invitingly to him. An ancient smell wafted out to Link. He had to wrinkle his nose a little in response.

A great deal of hesitance reflected itself in Link's features as he looked down the stairwell that led to the deepest reaches of the shrine. Was it a dungeon, like the numerous other dungeons he had to conquer in the past? Or was it a straightforward path down to a temple room? After hesitating a few more moments, Link made his resolve, and began descending the steps.

--

If Link had to describe, he probably would have said those steps took an eon to descend. And who could blame him? All he could see, the scenery that met his eyes on every step, consisted of the stairs ahead of him and the walls on all three sides. The sconces on the walls to his left and right held torches that burned an ominous black fire. A purple ambience reflected off of those torches, illuminating Link's path with black light, essentially.

It was a wonder he didn't trip over himself in that poor light.

In Link's sense of time, a good while passed before he was confronted with a set of temple doors. The doors had a chained lock binding them tightly together. Ignoring that, though, Link looked to the relief on the door with a growing uneasy feeling gnawing at his heart.

As far as he was concerned, the black doors were engraved with the relief of a three-headed dog. The canine was one massive thing, held down by a set of chains that connected to each of its three collars. Each head possessed a mane of serpents, each serpent baring a pair of fangs. The eyes on each dog-like head had a pair of golden yellow eyes, which only made the creature seem more feral.

Link looked around the premises close to the doors, sighing when he could not find the book he sorely needed. He leaned back against the black doors, thinking of a way to tell Marth he had lost the text.

That was going pretty well until Link took notice of the sounds of crumbling metal. Backing away from the shrine doors, Link took to staring inconclusively at the chains sealing the doors shut, which were all growing cracks and falling apart. How and why was beyond him.

At any rate, it was obvious the door's seal had been broken, for the doors had begun to open. Link did not hesitate this time to venture in.

--

An obsidian statue of a maiden was the first thing that caught Link's eye. The rest of the surroundings came to him later, but that statue really grabbed his attention. Through the violet-black luminescence, he allowed himself to look up at the statue's piercing gold eyes, studying them meticulously.

Black clouds began to roil around Link when he began his inspections. He backed away toward the doors in an earnest attempt to make a run for it, but of course, the doors were closed by this point, trapping him inside. All he could do was watch with all the alertness he could muster.

The clouds condensed together at the base of the statue, and as a seeming finishing touch, some form of a spirit fell from the heart of the statue maiden to the condensing clouds below.

A black ambience pervaded from the clouds upon the spirit's contact, and after a few moments, a teenage girl became apparent from the cloudy form. Her skin was fair, contrasting heavily with her swimming jet black hair. A flowing black strapless dress with golden linings was her outfit of choice, She had no gloves or shoes. Her golden eyes trailed down to the book in her arms, then back to Link. "Young hero of twilight…" her familiar voice breathed, "an honor to see you at last…"

* * *

_Uh-oh, pretty lady appears from a mass of black clouds that could possibly do Link harm! And what's this? Link? Hesitant? Nonsense! I guess I could warn of OOC-ness, but I don't know what to tell you. I tried to make it so that his instincts were working, but I think that failed. Oh well._

_So who is this maiden? You'll see next chapter. _

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow_


	4. A Maiden of Shadow

_So. Well, here's the third chapter. It's all going pretty well so far, I must say. I like the new title. I like the concept. And I like the chapter. Pretty much. Oh, and thanks to NinjaSheik for bringing that idea up about Midna. I don't think she'll have too much of a role in this fic, unfortunately, but thanks to you, I was able to completely change this chapter and make it a lot better than its original version. So thank you very muchly!_

_**Disclaimers**: All Nintendo-related stuff belongs to Nintendo, that's why they're all branded with the name "Nintendo". The concept of the Smash Mansion is one that pervades throughout the Smash Brothers section of this site, and so I don't own it, nor does anyone in particular, I think...Oh, and the Chaos Deities all belong to me, kbxshadow. Roll chapter._

* * *

CHAPTER 3 – A Maiden of Shadow

That voice was definitely familiar to Link. He recognized it, for he had heard that same voice in the forest.

"You're the one who called me, aren't you?" Link questioned with an irritated tone. "They say you're a goddess."

The maiden's tone changed from before. "Good. Because that's exactly what I am."

"How can I believe that, though? I have never seen your relief or heard any stories of your existence."

"A truly painful thought. Din, Farore, and Nayru truly did cut off the truth of our existence back when they sealed us away," she sighed. "A pity, especially because getting rid of our existence was one of your purposes as their champion." She crossed her arms over her chest, touching a finger to her cheek, pulling a seemingly thoughtful look. "But perhaps it's because that's your job that you decided to latch on to my bait…"

Link tried to get this to sink in, but frustration over not understanding quickly took over. "Who and what are you, anyway?"

She dissipated into a mass of black clouds, evaporating away momentarily before forming up in front of Link at arm's length with her finger touching his forehead. "I'm sorry, Link, but I can't tell you that," she murmured, sliding her hand through his bangs, "at least…not yet."

"_Yet_?" Link snorted. "You mean I _never_ want to know?"

She fell apart into black vapors again, breaking away from Link. "Oh, stop lying." The clouds settled at the base of the statue, reforming into a maiden again, this time, with one leg over the other. "The inner reaches of your heart are as clear to me as daylight is to you. I would have thought it would be harder to see into you, but I suppose not…" She stood up and walked on over to Link, studying him carefully. "You want to get out of here, don't you?"

Link couldn't deny that fact. The instinct to run ate at him relentlessly, but his being would not obey. It was as if once she stood before him, he was firmly locked in his spot, unable to move.

"I can't let my prey go, you know," the maiden continued on, twirling her raven hair with a finger. She paused for a moment, soon looking Link in the eye. "You and I share a bond," she began. "You have a power over twilight…in a sense. I hold power over all forms of shadow and darkness. Everything of the shadows moves at my will, though I do have to admit, rather chaotically."

"I have no means of forming an alliance with you, if that's what you're getting at," Link growled. "I may have a form of power in twilight, but my expertise is in light." A gold ambience radiated from the triangular pattern on his left hand. Mobility came back to him, as he saw when he stumbled back a little. "My point proven."

"Proven, yes." She approached Link again, taking his left hand in her two hands, running tentative fingers all over the golden pattern. "Ah…So this is the mark the goddesses bestowed upon you when you were born…"

Link snatched his hand away. "What do you want from me? Just give me the book, and I'll be out."

"I'll give you the book, so it's no cause for concern. However…" She dissolved into black smoke again, snaking up next to Link and reforming once more with one arm interlocked with his and another holding on to the book. "I just want to be a friend to you, Link."

"A friend I would immediately dispose of," Link replied. "I'm absolutely happy with the friends I have now."

The maiden backed away from Link, disappearing from view and reappearing in front of her statue again. She pulled a thoughtful and concerned look as she tapped the book. "Yet…you don't really have anyone who could understand you or your troubles…"

Link actually had to stop and question that one.

"You see? I _have_ been asleep for _millennia _upon_ millennia_, but I do know what your purpose is. You are a champion of the goddesses of Hyrule, forever bound to the task of purging the dark one who possesses Din's power. You do not reincarnate into this world unless trouble will be abound in a certain timeframe. You are never _normal_, as you are always marked by the goddesses upon birth. The secrets of the world are kept from you, because all believe that such a champion as you should be able to find those secrets on your own."

"That's not true!" Link protested. "I'm just as human as any other Hylian or human out there, just with a patterned birthmark on my hand. That's all!"

"Really?" the maiden skeptically inquired. "So why do your tears fall now?"

Link had no answer to that question. Something inside him felt like crying out loud, and perhaps keeping it inside was what made the silent tears fall. The truth kind of hurt.

"Poor baby," she now cooed. "Orphaned upon birth and raised among others who know naught of your true identity…no one to know you for what you have done for all of Hyrule. No one to love you to ease your pains. The goddesses are truly cruel to you, Link."

"That's not true at all…" Link reluctantly defended. "I have a friend…She knows what I've done…She was there the whole time, so she knows…She knows how I feel…"

"Ah…the Twilight Princess Midna, correct?" The maiden laughed upon seeing Link's surprised look. "Of course I know her; she _is_ a direct user of my power. She's a dear friend to you, isn't she? Oh, don't look at me like that; I told you already that I hold power over all forms of shadow, including the twilight that you know." She pulled a thoughtful look. "How strange…Hyrule's been cut off from the Twilight Realm, though, hasn't it? Midna destroyed the Mirror of Twilight, and now there is no other way to her world, correct?"

"She had a reason, though. Everything that you're trying to hint at is false. Midna had a reason for destroying the Mirror of Twilight: my world and her world cannot intermix as it did. She knew that."

"Okay. And how do you explain the goddesses' actions, hm?"

Link was in silence for a moment. "…I'll…admit it," he started, "it's not fair…Out of all the Hylians they could choose from, they had to choose me. Because of it, I'm destined to do the same thing for the rest of time. Anyone that I felt were…closer to me than friends…somehow they're all meant for some greater purpose to the goddesses. I did think at least Midna wouldn't separate herself from me, but…" He sighed. "But I don't blame her or the goddesses for it. They all –"

"—had a reason?" the maiden finished with a skeptical tone. "You're killing me, Link. Regardless if they're your special friend or the goddesses of Hyrule, they are all corrupted to some degree. Take the goddesses in example. They put you in situations you don't want to be in. They offer none of their power or cooperation to you on your journeys. An inner power in you that has yet to be awakened? Stop teasing me." She turned her golden eyes to Link. "They purged every source of darkness from you, Link, to perfect you to their wishes…Look at yourself…You're just as innocent as a child and as deprived as a serf! They took away your human characteristics to make you as much of a saint as they could…It's a terrible thing they did to you!"

"Now I know you're just crazy…"

"Then I shall prove it to you." A wisp of black fire glowed in the maiden's hand before a familiar mask, shaped like a heart with horns and engraved with huge owl-like eyes, appeared in her hand. She covered half of her face with the mask, looking through one eye hole at Link. "Majora's Mask," the maiden started, "the pure incarnation of desire. Whether it be a child's wishes or an adult's lust, Majora represented it all. Several decades ago, a younger incarnation of you was led to Termina and forced to destroy Majora, thus eliminating desire from your soul." She tossed the Mask to Link. "Luckily your meeting with Midna was able to bring that back, but tell me Link, until you turned seventeen and separated from Midna, did you ever lust? Did you ever hate? Did you ever wish to murder anyone?"

Link tossed the Mask back to the maiden, which, on meeting her hand, disappeared. "Your questioning starts to bore me, lady…You've probed my mind long enough." He held his hand out, indicating the book. "Master Hand will kill me if I don't bring that back, so would you give it to me please?"

She flipped through the book a little before closing and holding it to her chest. "Tell me something then…You're an immortal enclosed in a mortal body…What do you plan to do?"

"I'll guide others who need it, and I'll use what power I have to help others. That's my job."

She sighed again. "Poor baby…Who will guide _you_? Obviously since you're not in the heavens yet, there is still something about you that denies you access to the Sacred Realm. You still need guidance. After all, there is no such thing as absolute purity, for darkness exists in all forms of light. You are lost in the light, with no knowledge of the shadow within. And your shadow is as clear as ever…"

"Haven't you had enough of this?" Link harshly asked, his tone exasperated. "What more do you want from me?"

"What do _you_ want?"

Link's voice left him again. He could only pull a baffled look.

"Well? What do _you_ want?" Her tone was inviting. Alluring, even.

Link was at a loss for words. Something he wanted? "Well…" He choked on the words. "I…"

The maiden disappeared into a cloud of black smoke again, reappearing right in front of Link, her lips but a hairsbreadth from his. "Don't you want to see Midna again?" she softly asked. "Find a way to reconnect with the Twilight Realm again…and see Midna one more time…? Isn't that what _you_ specifically want…?"

"I…"

"Sh…Poor baby…Are you conflicted…? Confused?"

"…I can't ask for your help…I don't know what you would do…If I hurt anyone…"

"You won't."

"I still…I mean…She's my friend…She was with me the whole time…"

"I understand."

"But I can't ask for your help."

"You're a human…You can make your own decisions."

"This isn't right…This isn't right!"

"According to who?"

Link stopped, looking into the maiden's golden eyes. Who was he thinking of, anyway? This was his life to lead, and these were decisions that he could make on his own, and not have to think about anyone's fundamentals or basics. He could make his own decisions. He could desire the things he wanted to desire. It was alright to do that. She was right. If he wanted to see Midna again, he could. He didn't have to think of the goddesses…

But then again, that was his job. That was what he had to do. It was his obligation. Farore had chosen him because of his integrity, and because of his willingness to sacrifice anything for his friends and loved ones. He couldn't bear to think of betraying the three goddesses. What kind of punishment would he be served?

Her soft lips touched his for a brief moment, spreading cold warmth through his system. As she broke away from him, he could feel his senses oddly clearing up. "You say you can help me to see Midna again?"

"No matter my power, I'm still a goddess, you realize."

Link thought on this. She could grant him the wish he had. She even understood the storm in his heart and mind, that always-continuing clash between his identities. She would get him to Midna. All he had to do…was comply. He looked to the maiden, easing the book from her hands. "What do I have to do?"

A smile tugged at her lips as she laid her hand on his right shoulder. "Follow my word, and respect my every whim." A black aura surrounded her and gathered at the hand on his shoulder, seemingly ingraining into his being. She kept a firm hold on this shoulder even as Link cringed and violently winced in agony until the glow settled and disappeared. "You now carry my essence; you are my vessel from this moment forth. Obey my word, and you'll be rewarded. Disobey it, and I swear you'll regret it forevermore."

Link looked to the maiden again, his usually bright blue eyes now tinged violet-black. "As long as you carry out your word, I'll do it," he breathed.

The maiden smiled as she watched the shadow in Link's eyes die away for his natural cerulean. "I hold on to my promises, love," she murmured. "I have yet to betray." She helped him up. "You carry my mark upon your being. Let no one but kin see it. Summon me with it if you ever need anything. I will also contact you as I see fit."

Link kept a firm hold on his burning shoulder, silently cursing away the feeling. "And what do you want me to call you?"

She considered it a moment. "Nephila," she replied. "Call me Nephila."

* * *

_So the first of the Chaos Deities has been named. Nephila, the Chaos Deity of Shadow._

_And Link has unfortunately awakened and given in to this deity. Sadness abound. Don't worry. Six others will join him. _

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow_


	5. Unwanted Guidance

_It's...uh...been a while, to say in the least. I won't promise anything about following updates, because I know I can't keep that promise. But I can at least say that I'm writing again...Little by little. I should post something on deviantART soon too, really. But I'm aiming for more original fiction on devART, know what I mean? So it might be a while before I upload anything there. For now, though, I'm going to have fun with this fic again. I keep forgetting that I had big things planned for it._

_So I'll take on **disclaimers **before I start the chapter. All Nintendo stuff belongs to Nintendo. Duh. Any mythical creature that appears in this fic belong to their respective cultures and legends. And then the Chaos Deities, their concept, and this fic belongs to me, kbxshadow. Go chapter_.

* * *

CHAPTER 4 – Unwanted Guidance

There wasn't much that anyone found particularly peculiar about Link once he came back from his excursion. What others saw, really, was just Link, holding a book in his left hand while his right arm hung limp. Considering the things happening later on though, that limp arm should have been the clearest indication of peculiarity. After all - even though Link never voiced it - the burning sensation was still blazing in his shoulder.

No one thought much of it, though. Link's left side was his dominant side. Things only mattered if something was wrong with that dominant side, as his left arm was his sword arm.

At least, that was the assumption and conclusion Link allowed himself to concede.

Only for a moment, though. He shook himself of the notion. Why such negative thoughts? Before he could think much more on it, Link shrugged it off, taking a breath to ease the ailment in his shoulder.

Spotting Marth, Ike, and Roy at the entrance gardens, though, Link resumed his normal cheerful attitude, holding the book up to catch the three's attention.

The icon worked: all three caught sight and dashed out to meet their Hylian friend. "We were about to send Marth to relieve you," Ike started. "You're not the fastest runner around, as far as I know."

"Oh?" Link questioned, skeptical. A twinge of irritation flashed momentarily in his features. "And you're saying Marth could have caught the little jokester?"

"He's definitely faster than you though," Roy pointed out. "He probably could have caught your fake in a hundredth of the time you took."

It was all Link could do to keep his temper fuse from blowing. He breathed a little, wondering what was up with this irritation of his. Finally, "Oh, shut up," he chided. "I had a bunch of difficulties trying to wrestle this thing from him." He shoved the book into Marth's hands. "Treasure it. I had to fight tooth and claw for that thing."

"Despite the fact you lost your ability to use your claws when Midna left?" Marth questioned. "And you say I'm a walking contradiction."

"…All three of you just _shut up_, okay? Goddesses, I never thought you guys could be so unappreciative…!"

"Aw, did we hurt poor Linkie's feelings?" Ike cooed, laughing after a moment. "Take a joke, fairy boy."

"He's just tired," Marth quickly stated upon noticing Link's brief venomous glance. "We're reaching curfew anyway, so let him off the hook and let's off for some rest. We'll look at this tomorrow."

--

A voice troubled Link's sleep, so much that he soon had to rouse himself and douse his face with cold water. Summertime was fast approaching, so he tried to get himself to believe it was the oncoming heatwave that had woken him.

Nope, it was still that voice. Except now it was accompanied by that annoying burning feeling in his shoulder. Feeling rather feverish and lightheaded, he left the faucet running, pressing his cheek against the cool polished ceramic of the sink. The sharp cold of the surface felt like heaven next to the burning in his shoulder. What was going on with it anyway?

Rousing himself from his feverish stupor, Link managed to answer his own question by pulling off his nightshirt and staring at the problematic shoulder via his mirror.

A black tattoo outlining a three-headed dog with snakes for mane and tail glowed on his right shoulder.

"…That doesn't look pretty," was all Link had to say in response.

"His name is Cerberus," Link heard that voice murmur. "You'll come to know him in due time. He was the form in which I was locked away. Now he carries a shard of my soul, wherever he sleeps."

"You're not going to force me to sacrifice anything of myself to this thing, are you?" Link asked, albeit a bit apprehensively. "It's too ugly."

Nephila's soft laughter echoed behind him. "Not at all," she reassured. "In fact, he'll become a valuable ally for you. Once things are set, I will accompany and assist you as Cerberus."

"And that'll help me toward the Twilight Realm?"

"Quite."

"So what do I need to do?"

"It's really pretty simple. All you need to do is help me find the rest of my sisters. My twin is on the other side of this mansion."

"That means she'll need a vessel too."

"Correct. I was observing those you were with earlier, and quite frankly, one of them is more than suitable for my sister. And I believe she agrees. She's already been troubling him for quite some time now, really. Oh, you know my twin sister. The Deity of Light."

--

A different voice was agitating Marth. His recent bouts of insomnia were not a result of the busy schedule he dealt with during the Brawl tournaments and Subspace conspiracy. It was this accursed voice that tormented his nightly thoughts, keeping him awake until times past the break of dawn. And it was the same thing every single time. Something about having too much light.

"Let it go; you must let it go…I can help you achieve that…Let some of your light go…"

It was always a continuation of a female's voice saying that over and over again. He really couldn't stand it.

Tonight, however, there was something new about this voice. It seemed more…agitated, or more eager. Marth really couldn't be sure, but he did realize this was only driving his insomnia to the edge.

"I need your help…Prince of Light, help my dying soul…Save what little light I have left…Let some of yours go…Please, give me some of your light…"

Marth sleepily sat up in bed, putting a hand to his aching head. Who was this person calling to him in the middle of the night? He had to admit these continued nights of no sleep were taking their toll on him. He knew he was a bit more irritable as of late. He knew he wasn't quite himself.

All of this just because he couldn't get enough sleep on the account of hearing a voice all throughout the night.

He had had enough of this. Deciding to get some fresh air, he changed from his nightwear to a simple tunic and pants, grabbing his cloak as he silently left his room.

--

The night was a quiet one, with no wind stirring the premises and nothing awake at all. The waters of the fountains were flowing in a steady cascade, providing a soothing babbling sound for Marth as he strolled among the northern gardens.

He found his feet took him to the mansion's northern gate. Exactly why, he couldn't really guess, nor did he really care. Anything at this point was better than dealing with insomnia.

He soon found he had a companion to settle his sleepless night with: Link was seated by the northern gate, and upon noticing Marth's presence, gave a wave.

"You're not afflicted with insomnia too, are you?" Marth asked upon coming within Link's earshot. "It's not like you."

"Why? Are you?" Link questioned back. "Me? Not so much. Just wanted to take a stroll under the moon. Sure is peaceful out here."

"Not enough to allow me to go to sleep though. So why out here by the gates?"

Link seemed to think on this a moment. "I guess you could say I was waiting," he finally answered. "For what, I couldn't tell you."

"Aren't you the considerate one. You haven't answered my question yet, though."

"Well, there's something beyond these gates that have been bothering me for a while now. I try to go to sleep, but something irks me when I remember these gates."

"How vague."

Link pulled a look. "Not my fault, now is it? Ever since the wolf-transformation days, I've been sensing a lot of things I normally couldn't before."

Marth sighed. "So I'm guessing you want me to accompany you to find out what it is that you're sensing?"

Link smiled. "You know me too well."

"Master Hand won't be pleased if he finds out we're sneaking out of the mansion grounds during the night like this."

"Oh, come on Marth! What Master Hand doesn't know won't hurt him…or us, for that matter." With that, Link scaled the gate, leaping over to the other side. "You're light enough to do the same. Come on!"

Marth knew he shouldn't go. He knew he should stick to his instincts and stay within the mansion grounds. He knew he shouldn't follow Link.

But he had to. That voice that sapped up his sleep was coming from beyond these gates. Marth was certain of that. He had to see what it was that begged for his help. He had to go.

So after a moment's hesitation, he quickly climbed up the gate, meeting Link on the other side.

--

The further from the mansion they went, the denser the northern forests became. It was as if the woods were hiding something…or keeping something out.

Regardless, this fact only mystified Marth and excited Link. Marth had noticed, since first walking into these forests, that something uncanny had taken over his Hylian companion. What it exactly was, Marth had no idea. Suspicious, to say in the least.

Marth stopped, examining his surroundings before looking to Link. "You know what's beyond here, don't you?" he questioned. "Where are you taking me?"

"…Oh, darn it," Link cursed, scratching his head. "Guess you caught me then."

"Tell the truth, Link. What's going on?"

"I found some ruins just a bit farther ahead," Link answered, pointing in the direction they were headed. "They're pretty interesting, so I thought you'd probably want to see."

"Tell me again why _I_ would be interested?"

"It's said the Chaos Deity of Light is sealed there."

The thought struck Marth a bit uneasily. "I was only interested in their story, Link, not of their existence."

"Don't be so cold, Marth. You're fascinated by them just as much as I am."

"No, Link, you don't understand. They're called the Chaos Deities for a reason!" Marth dashed to catch up to Link as the latter ran off into the forest. "The devastation they wrought upon this world…I wouldn't want to think about it! We can't go near them!"

The pair slowed down as they ran straight into a clearing of the dense northern forest. Link pulled a delighted look at the sight of the ruins in the middle. He gazed at their surroundings, remembering his own discovery of Nephila's sealed shrine.

The area was much like that, except these ruins had all the light shining upon them. The forest cleared up around these ruins, so regardless of night or day, there was always a shaft of light shining upon the ruins. _A worthy place for a deity of light_, Link thought to himself. He looked to Marth. "Well?" Link asked, "what do you think?"

For Marth, the air was too heavy. The area was too open. The clearing itself was too empty. There were no sounds except for his own heartbeat and Link's voice; it was too quiet. That light shining down on the ruins…He hated it.

Yet at the same time, Marth felt something inside growing fonder and fonder of this place. The heaviness, the openness, the emptiness, and the absolute silence. He felt he liked it all.

But if this definitely _was_ the shrine of the Chaos Deity of Light, Marth wanted nothing to do with the place. The notion was hard to follow through with, but he managed to turn enough to start running away.

Except Link had his friend by the cloak, pulling Marth back to the forest clearing. Throwing an arm around Marth's shoulders, Link gave an indication to the ruins. "Don't worry, buddy," he murmured. "That's exactly how I felt when I found the Shadow Deity's ruins." He pointed to the slab of rock sealing the entrance. "Only you can break the seal on that, you know."

As Marth looked from the slab to Link, he became aware of the violet-black tinge that had taken over the usual blue of Link's eyes.

Then looking back to the slab of rock and seeing the glowing mark upon it, Marth grudgingly realized he had no route of escape. He tried to breathe to calm himself, to wake himself up, but he knew this was no dream.

_Why that mark…?

* * *

_

_This particular chapter has actually undergone quite a bit of revision. And I like how it all turned out. Believe me, this chapter wasn't great at all in its original manuscript. That's my opinion, anyway. Not sure about what you people think. So let me know - I'm curious._

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow  
_


	6. Lightened Investigations

_Like I said, I'm really looking forward to writing this fic now. So I'm back again. Whoo._

_Not much for opening notes, so here are some **disclaimers**. Anything Nintendo in this story that's officially Nintendo belongs to Nintendo. The Chaos Deities, their concept, and this fic belong to me, kbxshadow. Moving along with the next chapter..._

* * *

CHAPTER 5 – Lightened Investigations

Even as the pair approached the ruins, Marth felt that apprehension growing within him for each and every step he took closer to the desolate shrine.

The glowing mark on the slab ruthlessly wracked his nerves. Why, he thought, why did it have Altea's Great Seal on it? Why was it made so that he had to have an association with such a dangerous legend, if it were real? Why were things so that he _had_ to go near the shrine when he wanted nothing but to turn around and run away?

Link noticed Marth's escalating tension. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Something bothering you?"

Marth took care not to look at Link's violet-black eyes – they creeped him out way too much – as he shakily answered, "Link…It seems you can see it as well…What is the icon on that slab…?" _Please_, he prayed, _let it be something else and not the seal of Altea!_

"It's kind of hard to tell," Link started, "because it's so complex, but it looks like a ring with a lion on the left side, a unicorn on the right side, and a phoenix on top…Isn't that the seal of Altea?"

Marth didn't answer, and instead curtly demanded, "Take me back, Link. I need my rest."

"Says the one who knows the reason why he can't sleep is thanks to whatever's on the other side of that seal," Link retorted.

"I want nothing to do with whatever you're trying to get me tangled up in," Marth firmly stated. "I need to get back to the mansion. Take me back. You know your way around, and you brought me here anyway."

"Pfft. Go yourself, then," Link shrugged. "Unless you break that seal, I'm not taking you anywhere."

"Are you _serious_? You _can't_ negotiate to save your life!"

"Then what're you still doing here?"

Marth stopped, lost for words. Something had locked him in place, and it wasn't as if his body couldn't move. He felt his heart drawn to these ruins. He had to snap out of it, but it was too much to accomplish.

Then he heard voices again. Two females, one feeling incredibly closer than the other.

"Oy, he's a stubborn one!" the first cried. "He's got too much of a sense of integrity!"

"He's perfect," the second calmly replied. "Where is he?"

"On your doorstep!"

"Oh, do have him come down…I wish to see him."

"He's not obeying your will, though. He's so conflicted he can't even move from his spot."

"That perfect…Do what you must; I _will_ have him as my vessel…"

"Don't you worry. I figured as much."

And the voices died away.

Marth looked about in bewilderment, unsure of what to say.

Link didn't seem fazed though. "You're stuck in a rut, Marth," he said after a moment. "They've already decided on you."

"Who's 'they'?" Marth shot back. "And what have they decided?"

Link didn't answer, but a black aura enveloped him for a moment before detaching and forming into the apparition of a maiden. While Link reacted in no way, shape, or form, Marth stumbled back at the sight of the black hair, golden eyes, fair skin, black dress, and smug look.

Nephila indicated herself as she approached Marth. "Silly prince," she chided, "it's me and my sister who have decided upon you. I thought you would be too much for my sister to handle, but it looks like she's been tormenting you already. Seems like she relishes the fact you're so hard to get. And plus, you're quite directly connected with her seal."

Marth put a hand to Falchion, swiftly drawing it to cut the apparition straight across, severing Nephila into two. "I'm not sure what exactly you are, but just stop pestering me! You _and_ your sister!"

What he thought to be severed, however, merely burst into black smoke and gathered back as the whole form of the maiden again. One pale hand wrenched and twisted Marth's sword hand away, causing him to give a strangled yelp and drop his sword. The other held a vice-grip on the collar of his tunic. "No matter how blessed with light this sword is," the maiden hissed, "you cannot kill me, Prince of Light."

"Who are you?"

"Ask your friend that," Nephila replied. Pulling Marth by his collar, she dropped her voice to a low whisper. "Hard to move, isn't it? Do you know why?"

Marth did not let the provocation get to him.

"My, my…You _are_ a stubborn one." She let go of him, deforming into black smoke and reforming behind Marth. While the latter massaged his twisted wrist, Nephila lightly placed her hands on his shoulders, leaning in to his ear. Her voice fell to that alluring hiss again. "Relax, love…Even performing acts of wrong can be in the right…Your actions are always justified."

Marth shuddered at the apparition's cold touch and silky voice.

Nephila directed Marth's attention to the ruins, still keeping her alluring whisper. "You want to know what's beyond that seal, don't you? You need to know why the Altean crest is on that door, right?" She pulled herself close, embracing him from behind. "You want to meet the owner of that voice you've been hearing…don't you?"

Marth swallowed, his heart racing.

Nephila backed away, changing to black clouds once again and floating to Link before switching to her maiden form. "It's okay to desire, dear prince," she remarked. "It's fine to want to know what's beyond that seal. There's nothing wrong with that."

"But…" Marth finally managed to croak," you and your kind…"

"We don't devastate unless we're _bored_, Prince." She changed to a black glow. "And at this point, we have no time for boredom. So go on…No one will stop you. You thirst for knowledge…Now quench it." The black ambience surrounded Link again, and quickly disappeared.

Link smiled after a moment. "Well, Marth?" he asked. "What do you plan to do?"

A silence passed before Marth spoke again. "I need to know…" he began. " I need to know why my kingdom has anything to do with this…and what I've managed to get myself into…"

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Link replied. "It's human to end up in situations we don't want to be in. Then it's also human to know what's going on, and get ourselves out of it." He looked to the stone slab, still glowing with the Altean crest. "That's what you want to do, right?"

After a brief moment of hesitance, Marth gave a nod. "I _do_ have a right to know when Altea is involved, don't I?"

"I'd think so. That's kind of like me helping out Hyrule when I know there's something going on."

Marth approached the slab, setting his right hand on the glowing mark, but wincing in pain. "…I'm not going to hurt anyone, am I?" he asked, staring as the slab disappeared. "I won't bring any harm upon anyone, will I, by going through with these investigations?"

Link's eyes changed to their violet-black hue as they rolled in exasperation. "Marth, you have to learn to think for yourself," he grumbled. "It's fine to be selfish every once in a while."

Marth pulled a look of disgust and descended the steps.

Link breathed a little, walking over to the clearing's entrance and sitting down at the base of a tree. "Now we just leave the rest to your sister, right?" he asked into the night's darkness. "I don't have to go down and help him out or anything?"

…_Don't underestimate the Deity of Light._

--

Marth could only look curiously about as he descended further and further into the ruins. Torches lit his way with a white ambience.

But the deeper Marth went in to the shrine, the greater his doubt grew. He had to keep reassuring himself that this was for Altea. This was an investigation he had to carry out on his own. It would endanger anyone he put into the situation.

The only sounds he could hear were his own heartbeat and the echo of his steps.

Then again, that irking voice was also continuing to aggravate him.

"You have a beautiful purity, Prince…Step closer…I can finally see that which I have chosen…"

It made Marth more uneasy. He almost didn't want to continue on. But even if he did turn and run, Link was at the entrance with his ominous companion. Either way, Marth knew he would be forced to get to the deepest regions of the shrine. So despite his body disagreeing and his mind telling him this was a trap, he kept descending the stairs.

Then it was a pair of doors sealed tightly shut by chains of awesome size.

Behind the chains, Marth saw, a relief of some creature decorated the double doors. It was a hideous thing the more he inspected the portrait. The creature had the head, body, and mane of a majestic male lion, but also a goat's head on its back and a snake for a tail. Both the lion and the snake were breathing fire.

Marth could only stare at the relief in awe, setting his hands on the doors as he traced the line of the lion's forepaw, as it was the only part of the portrait he could reach on the immense doors.

At his touch, the chains shuddered, causing Marth to sharply veer away as the chains fell cleanly off. He knew some sort of seal had broken, especially when the doors began opening a little. Once the doors opened enough, Marth quickly slipped in, not looking back as they closed behind him.

--

A diamond statue awaited Marth beyond the double doors. Seeing the pearl-white eyes it had, Marth's breath momentarily left him. It was an incredible piece of work, one that made it hard to think there could be something dangerous in the area.

As Marth gazed into those pearl-white eyes of the statue, he could feel himself shuddering, though for what, he had no clue. The violent shaking would not subside, however, and brought him down to his knees.

He could see a glow out of the corner of his eye, and bringing his hand up, he saw it was _he_ who emanated the white glow. He couldn't bring himself to even guess what was going on as the white of his aura grew even more brilliant.

He shielded his eyes just as a beam of light shot forth from the statue's heart, connecting with his own white aura as it left him to meet that of the statue's. Both forms of light condensed and formed into one orb of brilliance as it shifted into the appearance of a young woman.

The bright glow died away as Marth uncovered his eyes, watching the occurrence.

The maiden also, like Nephila, had the same pale skin, but it did not offset the white-golden shade of her full and swimming blonde hair. Her eyes were pearl white, like that of her statue, and rimmed with silver. She wore a strapless white dress lined with silver, and nothing else, like her twin sister.

She approached Marth, kneeling down to him and touching his forehead with one index finger, making his white glow show again. Seeing his aura, she smiled and slid her finger to his lips, signaling quiet.

Marth did not allow himself to move at all. He didn't even want to breathe.

"What a beautiful light," she finally uttered, her voice smooth. "I'm glad you came, Prince of Light…" She took her finger from his lips, giving a wave so that small firefly-sized orbs illuminated the area. "Don't be afraid…I will not hurt you."

Marth only pulled a skeptical look.

"I am that which unfortunately tormented your nights. I am who called to you. I am the embodiment of all light in its state of chaos…And I will tell you everything you must know…"

* * *

_Okay, look. For those of you who are getting ready to tell me that Altea's Great Seal or crest or whatever's not what I think it is, bear with the fact that I started this fic BEFORE Shadow Dragon came out. And I have yet to finish it, so I'm keeping to the theories and assumptions I made back then that initially made this chapter possible. Besides, get a good look at Marth's cape. I think you'd understand why I believe that particular picture is Altea's crest._

_Um, so I need to write up the next chapter too, so I can't promise any quick updates. Then again, when have I, right? Haha._

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow_


	7. A Maiden of Light

_Yay, I have another update. Excitement please? Nah, not really. Though I did like how this particular chapter turned out._

_**Disclaimers**: Anything and all Nintendo stuff belongs to Nintendo. All mythical creatures appearing in this fic belong to their respective cultures, legends, and myths. The Chaos Deities, their concept, and this fic belong to me, kbxshadow. Moving forth..._

* * *

CHAPTER 6 – A Maiden of Light

"Everything I need to know?" Marth scoffed. "You don't even realize I don't want to be here, do you? My seal is upon your door, though, and honestly speaking, I really don't think I want to know anymore!"

The maiden pulled a hurt look, placing a hand over her heart. "Stop lying," she calmly uttered. "You'll damage this beautiful aura surrounding you." She warmly smiled. "Lying isn't even in your nature."

Marth gritted his teeth in abhorrence to the truth. It did agitate him that he had lied to a maiden, but he knew what he was doing. He read enough to know what was going on. All he had to do was just find a way to reseal this deity, reseal the shrine, exorcise Link, and reseal—

"_You_ sealed me away here, dear Marth."

Marth jumped at the mention of his own name. His glance shot daggers at the maiden. "What joke are you playing? I wasn't even conceived at your time."

"Spirits are immortal, though. Granted, you may not have specifically been _you_ at that time, but your spirit then and now are the same. Such is the nature of light." The maiden got to her feet, disintegrating into a cloud of light.

The white glow around Marth died away at this time, giving him mobility once more. Standing from his place on the ground, he moved to a location further away from the floating cloud of light. In an attempt to prepare himself, he instinctively reached for Falchion at his side…only to grasp thin air instead of the handle of the legendary blade. Bewildered Marth looked wildly about, suddenly remembering: _I left it on the ground outside!_ A jolt of pain shot from his wrist, causing him to grudgingly remember the short skirmish outside.

"Are you looking for you sword?" the maiden's voice softly murmured from behind.

Marth whirled around, startled by the calm voice. _What—? How did she get behind me in so little time?_

"You were distracted," she answered. "And there is nothing in this universe that is faster than light." She smiled at Marth's widened eyes. "Do you not know, young prince? I am light in all of its forms. Your aura is very easy to read."

Marth backed away. "So then…You know why I am here."

"You have your reasons, yes. You are here to satisfy your knowledge."

"Then let's make this quick. I have no desire to stay longer than necessary."

"You will not," the maiden replied, taking a few slow steps toward Marth as he continued backing away. "That is why your sword is not here. It would cause us to waste precious time."

"I believe it would have made this meeting a little shorter," Marth snapped, continuing to back away and slowly circle with the maiden.

"Longer," she disagreed. Her white blonde hair swam eerily, yet calmly around her as she pulled a look of disgust. "Such a repulsive instrument…"

"It would have at least resealed you and whoever else is awake."

"No. I am light. So your blade can not scratch me. And Altea would still be connected to me, even if you sealed me away again…"

Marth found himself running out of things to say.

So the maiden continued on. "Your spirit existed millennia before. You were…a different human back then, but your spirit did exist in the time I walked the New Macrocosm. I see you from back then, living on in your spirit of this present era." She laid a hand on her heart again. "Your aura is the same as before. And I have memories, such painful memories, of those days."

Marth recognized the white aura from before surrounding his being.

The maiden smiled at this. "It seems your spirit remembers…even though you consciously don't."

"No, I remember!" Marth suddenly blurted. He quickly clapped a hand over his mouth, startled by his own sudden outburst.

And that was only the beginning. The maiden shook with silent laughter. "What is the matter, my prince? Your voice suddenly changed, and you don't seem to have control over your own words."

Marth kept a hand over his mouth as he icily continued his interrogation. "What are you doing to me…?"

She disappeared in a flash of light, reappearing in front of Marth. Her hand gently pulled Marth's away from his face. "Don't be so accusing," she murmured, her voice sorrowful. "Just because you're not so fond of me doesn't mean I would force words in your mouth. After all…" She paused here to slide around behind Marth, lifting herself on to his shoulders.

Marth was surprised at the sheer weightlessness of the maiden. He felt nothing as she wrapped her arms around him, sliding over his shoulder and back in front of him again.

She placed a finger on his lips again for silence. "I would never want to force anything on you…That might ruin this light. Especially because you remember…"

Marth felt his mouth start to open again. He quickly yanked himself away from the maiden, stuffing a part of his cloak into his mouth and biting down on it as hard as he could to stop his oncoming outburst. As he struggled to keep a hold of himself, he fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably. He could see his own aura flaring wildly in response to his struggles, but he continued to hold it back.

"You're horrible to your own soul," the maiden glumly remarked, kneeling to Marth. Taking Marth by his chin, she craned his head up toward her. "Light is the soul," she began, her voice ethereal and chanting, "as well as eternity. Speak to me. What do you remember?"

Her touch loosened Marth's hold on his cloak and calmed his aura to a still glow. Marth felt his consciousness ebbing away as he slowly fell into the trance_. Light is the soul, as well as eternity. Of course…Yes, of course…_

A silence reigned as the maiden's hand left Marth. He felt himself nodding, as if ready to fall into a deep slumber. At this point, he didn't care anymore. He was too tired to care, and the prospect of some good rest clouded his judgment. The maiden was leaving him alone, finally, and now he could rest…

He felt himself floating away into darkness, becoming more and more unconscious of the world. Yet he was aware of the maiden's voice and the movement of his lips. He could distantly hear himself speaking, but the voice was not his.

"…Serapha," he heard himself utter. "I thought this realm was finally rid of you and your sisters."

"Nonsense. As long as Illusia remains in this realm, we are bound to it as well," the maiden replied. "Besides, you only sealed me away. Ironic, is it not, that you, carrying a shard of your light and memories within your aura now, would awaken me once more?"

"I only wish I could have reawakened those memories, before this happened."

"You wouldn't have been able to stop the circumstances, no matter how much you relived the memories. Nephila took the Hero of Time, you see. I'm afraid to say, but all of this was inevitable." Serapha paused, then continued on. "You made a pact with me during the time this realm was called the New Macrocosm. That promise still holds, you realize."

_Illusia? New Macrocosm? Pact?_ Marth felt his conscious mind reeling.

"That pact from millennia before? How is it still holding?"

"We made an exchange, don't you remember? I saved you from the clutches of darkness by giving you my power. I made you a champion of light, and look at yourself now. The 'Prince of Light'. In exchange, you promised me your soul…You let me use you as my vessel."

"Those times are over, Serapha. I have nothing to do with that past anymore. If I had any debt to you back then, I've already paid it."

"You are very wrong…Look what you did to me. You imprisoned me here, and you took my power with you to your grave. You stole that which I let you borrow. You are indebted to me. Since you have no body for me to use, however, I must settle with the body in which your memories of me are sealed in. You, in your current form and name, must repay your debt…"

Marth suddenly felt himself forcefully pulled back into reality. He found himself blinking, dumbfounded by what he had heard. "You're making _me_..." Marth managed to finally voice, "pay off _someone else's_ debt from millennia ago?"

Serapha smiled and shook her head. "Light is the soul as well as eternity. Don't you see? _You_ invoked this debt, so _you_ must pay it off." Her countenance fell a little. "And I hate to threaten you, but if you refuse me…I can't guarantee the safety of your kingdom."

Marth snapped back to full consciousness, glaring at the maiden before him.

Serapha nodded. "Once all of my sisters have awakened, there will be a great revolution. In the midst of that revolution, many worlds will fall to ruin." Changing into clouds of light, she floated to her statue's shoulder, reforming so she had one leg over the other, and her cheek pressed against her fist. Her position made her look bored. "My dearest Marth, if the Insurrection occurs without you at my side…I fear I cannot guarantee Altea's safety."

Marth considered this a moment. "You're saying you'd protect Altea? But this Insurrection you're talking about won't occur without me. It wouldn't—"

"It's very possible to make the Insurrection occur without you, Prince. But if that were the case, Altea may lose its light forever." Seeing Marth stop and steadily go pale at this, she smiled and went on. "If you don't take responsibility for what you have done to me, I can't offer protection for Altea. So consider. Whether or not you refuse me or agree with me, the Insurrection will occur. The difference however, is Altea. Think carefully, dear. I personally would loathe to see the light of your precious kingdom fade away just because you failed to take responsibility for your debt and betraying me."

Marth felt cold. His pale countenance was the visage of helplessness and shock. A tense silence fell over him. _What should I do?_

Serapha left her seat, descending to Marth and placing a hand on his cheek. "Think about it, Marth…The Insurrection will be great…Many people _will_ die. Do you want to see Altea in absolute ruin? The children of the kingdom…Your remaining family…All of your people…_dead_. And then, if you manage to survive, you'll be _alone_, with no one to turn to…"

That final monologue did it. Tears sprang to Marth's eyes as he remembered his past. Altea in Dolhr's clutches. His father killed by Gharnef. Ellis captured and forced to Gharnef's bidding. His mother savagely murdered by the manaketes. The people of Altea placing their last shreds of hope in him even as they struggled to survive despite their ruin. How alone he felt during those two years! Even with Talys, Archanea, Aurelis, and Macedon to support him, even with his surviving allies of Altea, how alone and weak he felt!

And he had vowed, _Never again_.

"I lack the strength," Marth began, choking on his tears, "to sufficiently protect the people of my kingdom…as well as myself." He looked to Serapha. "I'll take my responsibility. I'll give you what little power I have. I only ask, in return, that you protect Altea in my stead…"

If Link had seen Serapha's smile at this remark, he probably would have agreed it was the spitting image of Nephila's smirk. "A goddess," Serapha started, "never goes back on her word."

* * *

_And so Marth breaks, falls apart, and is rebuilt again by the Chaos Deity of Light, Serapha, twin sister to the Deity of Shadow, Nephila. Two down, five more to go. _

_I'm kinda liking how this one's going, really. Let's see...who's next..._

_'Til next time.  
kbxshadow_


End file.
